Update from Soozie
2005-04-12 17:27 by Eric Wahl - Comments : (0)
Hey folks,
Sorry it's been so long since you've heard anything about the coop. Last you knew was we were going to have a steering comittee meeting about the future of our coop, and how we should best proceed with what we have learned in the last year. Well, that happened back in Feb, and here's what we decided.
1) First of all, we need t-shirts and bumper stickers. The stickers are ordered and on the way and I'll take care of the t-shirts hopefully this week. What do they say, you ask?
Praise the Lard
Roaring Fork Biodiesel Coop
2) We also decided that we best serve our members as a cooperative in that we should share our biodiesel making resources rather than trying to make biodiesel for the masses. So we are going to become a "you make it you take it" coop.
Why? - because it is too hard to make biodiesel for more cars than your own when it is a volunteer effort (currently it takes a full day to make 40 gallons with our system as it is right now). Also, there is no way to inexpensively garuntee quality fuel when we are using different used oil sources for each batch.
How? This is how it will work...
Only members ( annually) can make fuel for their personal use. Each individual will have to take a training (1-2 hours) and watch the FuelMiester video. We will try to schedule a training hopefully once a month (I'm shooting for the end of April for the first one). There will be a sign up calendar for making fuel so we can make sure that no one overlaps and so that we can make sure that we always have supplies/ingredients to accomodate folks. We will have to figure out a fee per gallon (it will be inexpensive), and this fee will go to maintaining our processor and restocking ingredients. A portion will also go to our monthly rent.
3) Our newest member is the Yampa High School Biodiesel Class. They will eventually be making biodiesel with our processor for their school busses. They are working collectively with us (RFBC) and with SEI for more in depth education.
4) We still want to do outreach by being present at festivals and parades and whatnot. Earth Day in Aspen is April 22, and Dandelion Day is May 21 just for starters. We also have money in the bank account to throw some sort of party to rally up excitement and participation to get biodiesel in more of the pumps around the valley. Send word if you have any ideas.
5) SEI's biodiesel workshop is from June 27 - July 1 in Boulder. Talk to me if you are interested in attending (we might be able to work out a deal....)
I'll send word with more concrete details soon. I'm meeting with Brian (the grease collector) this friday to suss out organizational details and then I'm on my way to Junction to pick up Methanol.
peace and grease,
soozie
Soozie Friedmar
Solar Energy International
PO Box 715
76 S. 2nd St. Suite B
Carbondale, CO 81623
(970) 963-8855
fax(970) 963-8866
www.solarenergy.org
soozie@solarenergy.org
| Blue Sun Biodiesel plant in Alamosa
2004-10-21 22:08 by Eric Wahl - Comments : (0)
Alamosa, CO, October 20, 2004 Blue Sun Biodiesel announces the nations first high-volume commercial biodiesel blending terminal and integrated biodiesel processing plant. High-performance biodiesel blends will be available from the terminal beginning this November.
USDA officials will announce the agencys $500,000 grant award to Blue Sun for the construction of the production plant at a grand opening event in Alamosa October 21. The production plant is scheduled for completion in May 2005.
The new Blue Sun Biodiesel processor and terminal increases availability and reduces the cost of high-performance biodiesel fuel made from virgin vegetable oil. To date, quality concerns have slowed acceptance of biodiesel blends such as B20, an EPA-approved alternative fuel consisting of 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel. These concerns have been a result of inconsistent product quality and blending procedures in the industry that have previously led to hesitancy on the part of diesel engine manufactures, automakers, and fleet managers. The new Blue Sun terminal and production facility will provide ample supplies of the Blue Sun Biodiesel fuel to the rapidly growing U.S. market.
Gigi Dennis, Colorado state director for USDA Rural Development, said, Blue Suns processing facility and distribution terminal are critical-path developments in the ongoing national effort to increase agricultural income and reduce Americas dependence on foreign oil. Blue Sun is the first Colorado company to receive the USDAs prestigious Renewable Energy Systems grant. The production facility and blending terminal both will be computer-automated and will use the most advanced blending technology available to create Blue Sun B20. Strategically located in Alamosa on the Great Western Railway, the blending terminal will improve accessibility to Blue Sun B20 for fuel distributors and their customers throughout the U.S. Blue Sun B20 increases horsepower and fuel mileage, while reducing emissions, engine wear and maintenance costs.
Blue Sun President and CEO Jeff Probst said, By co-locating these critical biodiesel components with crop production in the San Luis Valley, Blue Sun Biodiesel can provide high-quality and cost-competitive fuel to our customers throughout the country. The San Luis Valley of Colorado is ideal for canola crop production and area farmers will supply the processing facility. According to Dan Mortensen, President of Alta Fuels in Alamosa, Blue Suns operation helps distributors overcome the obstacles that currently limit the growth of the biodiesel industry.
Please visit http://www.gobluesun.com for details.
Contact:
Jeff Probst, President and CEO
Blue Sun Biodiesel
Tel: 970-221-0500
Fax: 970-221-4004
info@gobluesun.com
found at http://www.greencarcongress.com
| email from Soozie
2004-10-21 01:34 by Eric Wahl - Comments : (0)
Hi everybody,
I just wanted to fill you all in with what's going on with our Biodiesel
coop, and biodiesel developments in the town of Carbondale, and in our
country.
First of all, forgive me for not keeping in better communication, I was out
of town most of the summer. Production of fuel continued, but we are even
still working out the bugs until we feel confident in supplying quality fuel
to the masses.
Right now we are on a "you make it, you take it" regiment, and if anyone is
interested in making batches please contact me. I broke my clavicle last
weekend and can't lift anything, but I'm a great cheerleader. My goal is
to keep making small (40 gallon) batches while bringing in the
infrastructure (storage containers, etc.) to be ready to offer 100%
biodiesel in the spring.
In the meantime, there is always B20 at the Catherine store and 55 gallon
drums of B100 available from Western Petroleum in Glenwood.
In Carbondale itself, the environmental board is actively working to
implement biodiesel in the town fleets and RE1 school busses!
And in the world....I have copied in Josh Tickell's new biodiesel America
newsletter below. Read on and be amazed. Go to his website and subscribe
or donate!
Peace and grease,
Soozie
Dear Friends,
Good news. As I've indicated over the past couple of months - our team in
Los Angeles has been cookin' and we've made something I think you're going
to like. The purpose of this letter is to introduce you to "Biodiesel
America" (http://www.biodieselamerica.org) - our new name, our new web site,
and our new direction. Also, I want to touch on something we will talk more
about as our new organization develops - how you can participate in a new
vision for biodiesel that will have a direct, tangible impact on you and
your family.
How I Closed the Chapter on Seven Years of Work with the Veggie Van and
Opened a New, Exciting Chapter
Recent events have reignited my passion for the work I have done for the
past seven years and the work you, our worldwide community of
biodiesel-active people, have done. My film crew and I just filmed Willie
Nelson and Neil Young in Seattle, Washington at the Farm Aid Concert. In the
middle of the concert, Neil literally stopped singing to 30,000 people and
spoke to them about biodiesel fuel for five minutes. The crowd went wild
with enthusiasm when he announced he was using American farm-grown biodiesel
in his personal and tour vehicles. Later, in my personal interview with him,
he told the story about how he learned about biodiesel after reading my
book.
Speaking of which, we're working on an amazing a new book. The new book is
called 'Biodiesel America' and details the incredible surge of interest in
biodiesel from the perspective of farmers, scientists and politicians in
America.
These events have caused me to look back and analyze where we have been most
effective. Our successes have been in focusing media attention on biodiesel,
in writing the first ever book on biodiesel and in making awareness-raising
web sites and films. Like many organizations, our organization is most
successful when we are proactive rather than reactionary.
This may sound a bit esoteric, but think about what I'm saying, and I'll bet
you'll agree - when you're fighting for an articulated, defined vision,
you're not really fighting at all, you're "creating" the future you want.
And that's what we want to do - rather than reacting to events beyond our
control, we want to "create" our future.
Which is why I'm reaching out to the people who want to build a new vision,
a new dream for America and to "build" the blocks to turn that vision into
reality.
The people who can build those blocks are you - the people reading this
letter.
People Are Talking
When I travel across our great nation, I stop in small towns and big cities
and I listen to local people. I listen to what's on their minds - what
they're complaining about and what they love to do. What amazes me about
"listening to America" is how diverse we are as a nation yet how similar our
stories are.
Here are a few of the issues I hear people speak about:
1) The difficulty of getting a good job in today's job market
2) Lack of availability of good schools
3) The high rate of taxes
4) Pollution in the cities
There are many other issues, but these are the same regardless of the city
or town. These issues are interconnected and they are connected to at least
one solution.
The Big Question
What if I told you there was a simple way to reduce your children's risk of
cancer substantially, to decrease the number one cause of absenteeism in the
United States, to bring thousands of jobs into our communities, to increase
our tax base (thereby decreasing taxes) to help farmers who, according to
Farm Aid, have lost 750,000 family farms since 1960 and continue to lose 350
family farms a week, to increase your nation's independence from mid east
oil and to decrease airborne pollution in your community? What if I told you
that you could do all of this and the cost to you as a citizen was the price
of a latte per year? For the cost of a cup of fancy coffee each year you
could do all of this. Would you do it? Because the citizens of Berkeley did
it and so could you. Let me tell you how.
First they're are a few facts gathered from the EPA and the American Lung
Association that are critical for you to know. Here they are:
FACT #1 - There are 460,000 school buses in America. 390,000 of them are
diesels.
FACT #2 - 24 Million American children ride a school bus every day (9% of
our population)
FACT #3 - On average each American child spends 1.5 hours a day on the bus
FACT #4 - The number one cause of absenteeism in the United States is asthma
FACT #5 - The air inside a diesel school bus is more carcinogenic (more
cancer-causing) than the air your child breathes at any other point in their
day. The air inside a diesel school bus also has a higher level of particles
that stick in your child's lungs (a contributor to asthma) than any other
direct airborne source.
FACT #5 - Biodiesel decreases your child's risk of cancer caused by school
bus emissions by 85% and decreases the particles that attach to your child's
lungs by 60-80%
FACT #6 - Biodiesel doesn't just decrease your child's risk of cancer, it
also reduces the negative health effects caused by diesel exhaust that YOU
face.
Berkeley Goes Biodiesel
Now a quick story about what happened in Berkeley, California. When Dave
Williamson arrived at the Berkeley Ecology Center, less than 5% of
Berkeley's municipal waste was being recycled. Dave's critics told him it
would be impossible to ever increase the amount of recycled waste in
Berkeley higher than 15%. Thanks to him, Berkeley now recycles 50% of its
solid municipal waste.
Dave took his success with recycling one step further - he got Berkeley to
begin using biodiesel. But instead of just getting a few vehicles to use
biodiesel, he partnered with scientist and researcher Dr. Randall Von Wedel
and together, they put forth a proposal that the city of Berkeley begin
using biodiesel in all 192 of Berkeley's municipal vehicles. And, instead of
using a blend of biodiesel with conventional diesel, Dave and Randall
convinced the citizens of the town of Berkeley to use 100% biodiesel -
something that had never been done before in any city in the US.
So how did they do it? Well, the short story is that Dave and Randall
figured out that the price increase per taxpayer per year in Berkeley for
using 100% biodiesel is about .50. They built support in their community
by bringing in everyone from the town fleet managers to the actual truck
drivers themselves. They befriended council members. And by the time they
went to propose the amendment to the city at the town meeting, by the time
Dave Williamson got up in front of the council, who was waffling at the
idea, and said in his big, bear-like voice, "Look, people are dying in wars
for oil and we can give you energy independence for the price of a latte per
year - how many of you people buy a latte every day?" all of the important
members of the city were behind the idea and the bill passed.
To this day, Berkeley remains the only city in the United States with its
entire municipal vehicle fleet - from garbage trucks to school buses -
running on 100% biodiesel made in the USA.
Dave Williamson is an ex-Marine. He served in duty. He comes from a family
of Louisiana roughneck oil workers. He is a leader and a patriot. He is
fighting for your families. And he is winning.
And he's not alone.
Building a Vision
There are a lot of great web sites on the Internet about biodiesel. The
National Biodiesel Board has a great site at http://www.biodiesel.org Neil
Young has a great site (where he uses pages from my book, From the Fryer to
the Fuel Tank) at http://www.goearth.org and there are now hundreds of sites
on biodiesel - all working to educate people about the benefits of this
domestically-produced fuel. When we moved our organization to California and
began rebuilding our mission, I realized that the one thing biodiesel lacked
was a place for people to discuss the vision 'driving' biodiesel fuel.
Another thing lacking was a cohesive national (and perhaps even one day
international), vision-driven campaign.
The purpose of this letter is to bring you along the path that lead me and
my team to change the name of our organization to "Biodiesel America" and to
change our direction to a campaign-oriented structure that emphasizes the
need for biodiesel in American school buses.
Our goal is to leverage the power of our upcoming book (also entitled
"Biodiesel America") and film ('Fields of Fuel') to roll out a biodiesel
vision that can be embraced in communities where kids suffer from asthma,
where people need jobs and where the heartbeat of America is still strong.
Communities all across America. Communities like Berkeley. Communities like
yours.
We realize this is going to be a lot of work. We also realize it's going to
take time. But right now, we are laying the foundation with a new web site,
a new book and an upcoming documentary film. Have a look at our new web site
at http://www.biodieselamerica.org . If you like our direction and what we
are doing, please make a tax-deductible donation or check out the 'Get
Involved' section at the top of the front page.
If you like what we are doing and what we stand for, but you can only spare
five minutes, then forward this email to your family and friends and get
them to sign up for our free newsletter (just type in your email address
into the box at the top right hand corner of our site at
http://www.biodieselamerica.org ).
And remember.
The biodiesel revolution has begun and you are part of it.
Best regards,
Josh Tickell
Founder, Biodiesel America
Director, 'Fields of Fuel'
http://www.BiodieselAmerica.org
| Soozie Reports:
2004-07-02 07:43 by Eric Wahl - Comments : (0)
Hello biodiesel buds,
I just want you to know that our initial batches of biodiesel have gone well and we are in the process of organizing a system where you all can purchase fuel. As I've mentioned, I am leaving town until August 20th, but there is still momentum with the RFBC without me. Randal Morris and Alleghany Meadows are the ones to contact with your questions, however, they too are extremely busy this summer. Randal's contact info is
randalemorris-AT-yahoo.com feel free to email him.
Right now, much volunteer effort is needed to make the fuel (which by the way, is really fun!). So - if you want fuel for your car with 100%, right now you have a better chance of getting it if you can help make it.
Remember, you need to be a member of the RFBC to purchase fuel!! To become a member, please send in $ 25(annual fee) and your name, address, phone number, and email to:
RFBC
c/o Stepstone Center
po box 2044
Carbondale, CO 81623
Thank you everyone for your support! Have a great summer and keep the greasy peace!
Soozie Friedmar
| News from Soozie
2004-06-24 20:19 by Eric Wahl - Comments : (0)
Hi biodiesel gang!
The RFBC is making biodiesel!!! Unfortunately, most of the people who want to brew are in and out of town this summer, but hopefully we will get things sussed out soon! In the mean time, you all should take a gander at this here letter that Doug Meyers of Western Petroleum (Glenwood Springs) sent me....
Soozie,
I just wanted to let you know that Western Petroleum has some B-100 in stock...4 55-gallon drums. If any of the members are interested, you can have them give me a call at 970-945-6214. This is Blue sun Product and we would sell it by the drum.
The price would be .40 per gallon. This includes all state and federal taxes which amounts to .449 cents per gallon.
Thanks!
Doug
----------------------------------------------------------
I just took a road trip to Washington state and back and I used B100 in my '82 VW Rabbit for over 1500 miles (B50 the rest of the way...). All went great and the ride was smooth. I will keep you all posted as to when the coop will be able to offer B100 to you. Please contact me if you are interested in brewing the grease yourself!
Peace,
Soozie
Soozie Friedmar
Solar Energy International
PO Box 715, Carbondale CO 81623
Shipping: 76 S Second Street
970.963.8855, fax 970.963.8866
www.solarenergy.org
soozie - AT - solarenergy.org
| Straight-Veg
2004-05-20 20:29 by Eric Wahl - Comments : (0)
"A sticker on the blue Dodge read: ask me about veggie power. The truck belonged to Joel Wolf, a rancher, surfer and longtime diesel mechanic, who had agreed to meet me at Summit Restaurant up above the Ojai Valley, so that I could do just what the sticker requested. Recently, Joel formed a company to propagate the usage of discarded vegetable oil as an alternative fuel."
http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/25/the-bearman.php
| New Process for Cold Resistance
2004-04-02 22:48 by Eric Wahl - Comments : (0)
"So far, attempts to create a suitable fuel from blends of jet fuel and vegetable oils have been unsuccessful. One stumbling block is the requirement that aviation fuel stays liquid down to -40 degrees Celsius. Vegetable oils generally freeze at around zero degrees Celsius.
But now biochemist Bernard Tao of Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, and his graduate student Shailendra Bist have developed a blend that freezes at -40 degrees Celsius.
...
Tao's team has developed a similar fractionation technology that takes less than an hour and has yields as high as 80 per cent. They are unwilling to discuss details pending a patent filing, but say they can now make a 40 per cent blend of biofuel and 60 per cent Jet A with the right freezing properties."
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994813
| Biodiesel powers Neil Young tour
2004-03-27 07:52 by Eric Wahl - Comments : (0)
by Sheri Linden / Reuters News Service
Neil Young wants to talk about vegetable oil. It would be reasonable to expect that the rock 'n' roll veteran has more pressing matters on his mind - he's just launched a month-long concert tour to complement the theatrical release of "Greendale," his first film in 22 years. But for anyone familiar with the project's storyline, which tackles such weighty subjects as religious warfare, corporate duplicity, the erosion of privacy and the destruction of natural resources, it will come as no surprise that its creator is eager to discuss not merely the tour itself but the tour's means of transportation. "I have 17 diesel vehicles, and they're all running on vegetable oil farmed by American farmers," Young, one of the founders of the annual Farm Aid charity concerts, said in a recent interview with Reuters. Traveling cross-country in that biodiesel caravan with Young are his longtime backing band Crazy Horse and a troupe of friends and family, most of whom are reprising roles they created in the film.
Also see Wired Magazine's new interview with Neil Young at http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.03/young.html
"One of my pet projects is to run the next Greendale tour on biodiesel. It gives off 80 percent less emissions. I'll drive the hugest SUV and 90 percent of the people who are yelling at me will be polluting more than I am. We'll show everyone that we can move in this capitalist system, deliver the goods, and not pollute. If we travel with a giant thermos-bottle truck with biofuel written on the side, the TV people will come. Then I'll be able to prostitute myself for something positive, instead of just selling a record."
| Welcome !
2004-02-19 13:45 by Eric - Comments : (0)
Welcome to the Roaring Fork Biodiesel Cooperative website!
The basic site is finished, Moderators may post news and add links and pages. Forums are open- register here if you want to post!
| | |